For those of you unfamiliar with Woodworking Magazine, it’s a 32-page 2-color-interior (black and sepia-toned) labor of love written entirely by the Popular Woodworking editors, that was published from 2004-2009. It had no ads, no extra staff and a lot of great woodworking information. (After ceasing publication, we folded some of the WM approach into PWM…and regained some much needed hours of rest).

But I do wish we could have continued this niche publication (though not at the expense of our sanity); it was great fun on which to work, particularly for a writer, because we had room for words, words, words, and the freedom to indulge in editorial approaches that don’t work in a magazine intended for a wider and more varied readership.

Each issue was put together essentially like a mini book. We’d introduce a must-have tool, test various makes of it and teach you how to use it. Then, we’d offer up a simple project using that tool and the techniques just explained, then a larger, more advanced project that built on the skills just practiced. And each issue’s finishing article related back to one of the projects as well (plus there was a glossary to explain perhaps-unfamiliar terms used in the “book,” and a back cover “poster” with lovely illustrations and information on must-know woodshop subjects including wood types, sandpaper, try squares and router collets). The projects were all classics – Arts & Crafts, Shaker and other time-tested styles.

I love that approach – but it’s darn near impossible to sustain in a magazine such as Popular Woodworking, which is 60-70 percent freelance written. Plus – and perhaps most important – it’s somewhat limiting in terms of what can be covered in every issue; it’s simply not a viable approach for a magazine that reaches more than 100,000 readers, all of whom have varied and wide-reaching woodworking interests. (That said, we are going to start folding in to PWM a few more of the WM ideas, starting in the June issue.)

p.s. Below, you’ll find screen grab of each TOC – click on the image to make it large enough to read (and, if you’re interested in only a single download of an issue, click on the title and it will take you to that issue in the store)